An Ode... to my Dodge

This is definitely a story for my posterity...

This is also a story for anybody young and unwise about spending money...

...a story about how FAR we have come in eight years of togetherness.

...and finally a disappointing story if you were hoping for one where foolish actions were met with appropriate consequences...

When we met, we both had BRAND spankin new cars. I had a dream car. It was a red 2000 Focus. The Focus was, at that time, a brand new car. It had a stick shift and a steering wheel cover with flames. I really enjoyed that car.

Guero had a Toyota truck... only a few days old.

18 months after we bought those cars, and about nine months after buying a new house... we were, of course, in the market for a "new to us" car. I have not a clue what we were thinking. All I can say is that we were very young, and very stupid, and itchy for something to do.

We got robbed by ABC NISSAN. We overpaid for a 2000 Dodge Neon by about five to seven THOUSAND dollars and we did not even care. The car that we bought was very pretty. It had all of the bells and whistles that you could think of for that time... on that cheap car.

I was so nervous about signing the papers, because I knew in my heart that what we were doing was wrong. The salesman wanted us to pay an extra hundred dollars PER MONTH for an extended warranty. With my mouth hanging open like a large mouth bass, I asked, "why?!".

He responded, "because this is a Dodge Neon, and they don't live that long." (and that was not enough to send us screaming from his office) I told him, "absolutely not", thinking that this might be my "out". If I put my foot down and demand that we will not purchase this car without getting this extended warranty for free... we could possibly just leave right now like this was all a bad dream.

But, no, they pulled the ole switcheroo, the Sales Manager comes in, it is late at night, end of the month, end of the year, and he is feeling generous... he gives us the extended warranty for "free". Trust me, we paid for it... but... now we were leaving this lot with a "new to us" Neon.

I drove it home. I could hardly concentrate on how nice it handled or how good it smelled. I was too nauseous from the stench of stupid in the air. I parked it in front of my house, went inside and went to bed.

With a hardly detectable bounce in my step for the excitement of having a new car, I got in to go to work the very next morning. It did not start. THAT IS RIGHT. It did NOT START! I wanted to murder somebody. I called ABC Nissan and asked, "what are you going to do about this? You sold me a lemon?!"

**POSSIBLY BORING DETAILS**

one alternator and four engines later...

I have not had a single day of trouble after that rocky beginning. Even though my car has many battle wounds, (Two days ago an older woman horribly rear-ended me in the Wal-Mart parking lot.) it has been so good to me. It starts every single time. The AC blows really cold, and it forgives me for waiting a little too long between oil changes and car washes.

But as for our finances... My My My how things have changed...
Now we are grown up adults. We are scrimping and saving every single penny. We have resisted many temptations to replace this car (now payment free for four years and counting!)

While my Dodge was once held up as the worst financial mistake ever recorded in the history of stupid car purchases, it has now become a willing participant in my relentless pursuit to SAVE MORE MONEY!
Last week was a new and fun adventure... a CASE LOT SALE at my local grocery store. What fun to fill the food storage! I spent $167 (saved $160) on cans of things to eat only in case of emergency (or lack of funds). I completely FILLED the trunk with this (no doubt) ton of food! I piled both kids (safely and comfortably) in their carseats, turned on Radio Disney and drove home.The trunk packed full with cans of corn, beans and soup!Too cheap to replace the visor mirror, broken in a minor fender bender. 7 months pregnant with JJ and I hit my head on the visor. No wonder my makeup looks so bad!THAT IS RIGHT! My car is technically nine years old with 68,350 miles on it!! Too cheap... we took the really nice alloy wheels that my car came with and traded them for the brand new tires of a car too old and tired to even run (it sits... rotting... with my shiny expensive wheels on it)

Dearest Dodge, you have been better to me than I have deserved. I promise to replace you only in case of necessity for there is no "upgrade" for perfection.